2nd year residents

Hi All! My name is Matt Ducey and I'm one of the second year residents here at Wake Forest. I've been a "New Englander" my whole life growing up on Cape Cod. I spent my college years in lovely Providence, RI at Providence College (Go Friars! Have to get in the obligatory shout out…). I stayed in New England to get my medical degree at UMASS Medical School. During medical school I met my wife, Catherine, who lived in Nashville (long story involving a cruise) and decided to pursue a residency in a location that would keep me on the East Coast, and her warm and in the south. This led us to look in North Carolina. I interviewed all around the state but knew right away that Wake was the perfect fit for me. The biggest thing for me was the residents and their interactions. They all seem to be so happy and genuinely enjoy spending time with each other. That, in addition to a strong overall program made my decision easy.

Thus far my wife and I love Winston! There is virtually no traffic and every store or restaurant you could ask for. Some of our favorite things to do include going to our favorite local winery, pick-up sports at the local Y, grabbing a bite at the many fantastic restaurants on 4th street, listening to live music on Trade street and hitting up the local farmer's market. We could not be happier with our life here.

My interests outside of medicine include sports, (mainly basketball, tennis, and volleyball) as well as food, musical theatre and reading. I look forward to meeting all of you during the interview season and am always available to answer any questions you may have!

Garett Franklin, MDMorganton, NCThe Brody School of Medicineat East Carolina University

Hi! My name is Garett Franklin and I am one of the new Family Medicine interns here at WFUBMC. I was born and raised not too far away in Morganton, NC. In my free time, I enjoy golf, running, and pretty much any other sport. I love classic horror movies and I am always on the lookout for a good cup of coffee. I am also one half of the 2012 Family Medicine Intern 4th of July Cornhole championship team.

I went to North Carolina State University for undergraduate training (Go Wolfpack!) and graduated with a BS in chemical engineering. I returned to NC State a couple years later to finish a BA in chemistry and Masters of Physiology. I continued my education at Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, where I fell in love with family medicine after being taught by some awesome docs in Eastern NC and after a rural rotation on the Outer Banks of NC. Deciding on a residency program was quite a difficult task!! There are so many amazing programs in NC. However, after checking out lots of great programs and meeting some pretty awesome people, my wife and I decided on Wake Forest to complete residency.

Linsi and I put plenty of time and thought into our decision, but in the end, we were impressed with the people at Wake Forest. Residents, faculty, and staff were very excited about their program and very cordial and sincere about their love for patients, service, and each other. In the end, we decided we couldn't pass up an amazing opportunity at Wake Forest and, as an added bonus, we would get to be close to our NC family and friends for the next three years.

Thus far, we could not be happier with our decision! The people at Wake Forest have far exceeded expectations and are an awesome group! I know this gets tossed around a lot, but truly I feel like part of a family here. The residents and faculty are interested in my education and wanted nothing more than for me to succeed in all endeavors. They have made the transition to residency seamless and provided the tools to help me succeed as a resident and as a future attending physician. But hey, don't take my word for it! Do yourself a favor and check out Winston-Salem and the family medicine program here at Wake Forest. If I can be of any help, please don't hesitate to email/call if you have any questions or would like more information!

Lexi Nifong Fulk, MDWinston-Salem, NCWake Forest University School of Medicine

“Hi y’all! I’m Lexi Fulk and I’m proud to be a Demon Deacon resident in the department of family medicine. I graduated from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and liked our program so much that I decided to stay. As a student, I came to admire and respect our faculty, staff, and program as a whole. It’s a great place! I finished my undergraduate degree at a small school called High Point University. I am from Lexington, NC, which is just twenty minutes or so south of Winston-Salem. My husband, Jason, and I live on a small farm with our little girl, Hanauer. She just turned one in June of 2012. Needless to say, with a farm and a baby our work is never done! Thankfully, we’re the type of people who like to have something to do…always. When we do find spare time, Jason and I like to watch movies, play softball, and ride horses. Additionally, I enjoy cooking (Jason might like to cook, but I wouldn’t know because I’ve never seen it.

Eric MacEvoy, MDGasport, NYTufts University School of Medicine

I grew up in a town north of Buffalo (yes, north of Buffalo does exist and no I wasn't raised in Canada). After leaving the area I spent a year in Germany working in a hospital and going to University there. When I came back to the states I finished my undergrad at Yale and wound up at Tufts up in Boston where I met Maya. We couldn't be happier with our match at Wake and are looking forward to a change in pace from the Northeast.

Wake Forest and I first crossed paths at the family medicine national convention in Kansas City and since then I have only found more things to like about it as I interviewed and learned more about the program. Choosing to come here was easy after meeting my fellow residents and seeing the rapport they had with each other and how great they all were. When you combine that community with the solid medical training and a great location for people who like outdoors, there really wasn't anywhere else that could compete.

For me, the integrated whole person approach of family medicine was what really caught my attention. In addition, I feel that family medicine is a great place to start a change in medical care that our country needs in order to increase the quality of our healthcare delivery system. As an MBA I would often hear about the problems we face in medicine here, and I believe primary care is the key to a bright future and as such, I wanted to be a part of it.

Outside of medicine I enjoy an eclectic collection of hobbies and activities. Spending time with Maya and our two dogs, hiking, music, guitar, foreign languages, half-marathons and tough mudders, time with friends, board games, and reading are just a few. Within medicine I'm interested in sports medicine and would like to one day have an integrated health and wellness clinic with attached fitness center. If you're interested in the program or have any questions just contact the program and we're all happy to help.

Hello veryone! I am Chris Mills, one of the new interns here at Wake Forest. I am a native North Carolinian raised in Burlington. I attended NC State University (Go Pack!) where I majored in Civil Engineering. I stayed in Raleigh for a year and half working as a roadway design engineer before pursuing my life long dream of becoming a doctor. I married my college sweetheart, Kathryn, before beginning medical school at Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine. My wife and I welcomed our first born baby girl into our family in December of 2011. Aubrey Elizabeth is the apple of my eye and my motivation to be the best at all things.

Family medicine with a focus on Sports medicine is my passion. One of the reason I chose Wake Forest was for their strong Sports medicine program. Being able to work with athletes around Winston-Salem including high schools, Wake Forest, and adult athletes will give me a wonderful opportunity to grow as a physician.

I grew up playing a variety of sports, but focused on tennis. I played Varsity tennis for NC State University my freshman year. I was injured shortly after my season, and being a patient of Sports medicine opened my eyes to a future with sports. I am also a runner. I recently finished my first marathon, the Blue Ridge Marathon in Roanoke, VA. Running is a new passion of mine, and I am training to complete a triathlon later this year. Our yellow lab, Daisy, loves to run with me, but squirrels and other dogs are quite the distraction when we are on the road.

I feel honored to serve at Wake Forest, and I look forward to growing as a physician. We have an excellent faculty along with a wonderful group of residents who are becoming a second family to me. I hope you will stop by to meet me if you have a question or concern or if you just want to say hello.

Hi, my name is Daniel Myers and I am proud to be a part of Wake Forest Family Medicine. I was born and raised here in Winston-Salem, NC before setting off to pursue a career in medicine. I finished my undergraduate education with a degree in Chemistry from CU, and then headed off to Emory University to do research in myocardial reperfusion injury. I completed medical school at VCOM in Blacksburg, Virginia, at which time I became a huge VT Hokies football fan. My wife's name is Katy and she is beautiful and currently carrying our first baby who will be arriving shortly after the beginning of my intern year. She even let us name him Bear, which I chalked up to being a one in a million chance. I am very lucky to have the love and support of an amazing family. In my off time I enjoy hunting, fishing, golfing, playing guitar, and riding around in my Jeep.

I chose family medicine because of the diversity of patients, pathology, and career opportunities. My specific interests are inpatient family medicine and sports medicine. I was drawn to Wake Forest by the caliber of people that I met during interviews. Also, there is a genuine feeling of community within such a large medical institution, that focuses on patient care excellence and evidence based medicine. Thank you for your interest in Wake Forest Family Medicine, and feel free to email me at any time with questions you may have. God Bless!

Hello all! My name is Lizzie and I'm excited to be a part of Wake's newest class of interns. I am from Oklahoma, born and raised. I traveled south to Texas to do my undergraduate at Baylor University. At Baylor, I received my B.A. in psychology and met my husband, Tim, a fellow Okie. While I am a huge Sooner's fan, my first loyalty goes to Baylor. Sic 'em Bears! After undergrad, Tim and I moved back to Oklahoma City where I attended medical school at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. During med school, I enjoyed being involved in Gold Humanism Honor Society, Student Alumni association, Women in Medicine interest group, and several specialty interest groups. I had a great time playing intramural sports, meeting new friends, and being close to family. Throughout my rotations during 3rd year, I felt extremely conflicted regarding specialty choice because I loved everything! I realized how much I valued the relationship between patients and doctors and wanted a specialty that would foster strong rapport. Family medicine is a perfect fit for me. It promotes the relational aspect I desire while offering a huge variety of clinical and mental challenges.

After interviewing all over the nation, it became clear that Wake was the place for me. It was an easy choice as it has a great academic reputation, tons of learning opportunities being a major medical facility, and the nicest people you will ever meet! The amazing residents and staff have made us feel so welcomed. In fact, we have been overwhelmed by the hospitality and friendliness we've encountered throughout Winston. It is a great size city with tons of charm and activity. I am so glad this is where we decided to be and feel blessed beyond words to be a part of this program.

A.J. Ow, MDHinsdale, ILLoyola University of ChicagoStritch School of Medicine

Hi my name is A.J. Ow, and I grew up in Western Springs a southwest suburb of Chicago, IL. After spending my childhood and teenage years in Western Springs, I moved to Appleton, WI to attend college at Lawrence University, where I majored in biology. After college, I slowly made my way back to Chicago. I first worked for two years in Milwaukee, WI as a research assistant for a study in hypertension at the Medical College of Wisconsin and as a research assistant in the Pediatric Emergency Room. After this working experience, I attended Loyola University of Chicago's Stritch School of Medicine. I had a great experience at Loyola and my medical school experience contributed greatly to my choice to pursue Family Medicine. While at Loyola I became interested in Geriatrics and also enjoyed my experience in Sports Medicine.

After medical school I moved to Winston-Salem with my fiancée, Mara, and our two cats, Peter and Wendy. We were excited to move down to North Carolina to experience a new part of the country and to join a great group of people here at Wake Forest. After moving to North Carolina, I plan to continue to pursue my interests outside of medicine which includes following Chicago sports teams (White Sox, Bulls, and Bears), staying active and playing volleyball, cooking, and watching most AMC TV shows ( Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and the Waking Dead).

Hi there! My name is Mary Pippin, and I am a first year family medicine resident. I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and I moved to Gainesville, Florida when I was 7. I got my bachelor's degree in business administration from none other than the University of Florida (GO GATORS!). To my family's dismay, I attended medical school at Florida State University College of Medicine. I met my husband, Jerrid Pippin, over a cadaver during our first year of medical school.

Going into medical school, family medicine was not what I had imagined doing. I quickly changed my mind after my third year. From the variety of patient ages and complaints to the outpatient clinic chaos, it fit. By the beginning of my fourth year, it became clear that I was destined to become a family doctor. Jerrid and I were delighted that our marathon 18 interview couples match led us to Wake Forest to complete residency training for me in Family Medicine and for him in Emergency Medicine. We look forward to working with the great staff, faculty, and residents that made us fall in love with the program during our interview!

Outside of medicine, I enjoy spending time with my husband and Wake EM resident, Jerrid, who has introduced me to the outdoors. Since meeting him, I have canoed, kayaked, and even survived an 8.5 mile hike on our honeymoon. We have two Jack Russells, Rudy and Cricket, who we love to play with and attempt to soak up some of their energy. We both went to UF for undergrad and are avid Florida Gator football fans. Go Gators!! We look forward to calling Winston-Salem home for the next 3 years.

Steven Poon, MDSeattle, WATufts University Schoolof Medicine

Hi I'm Steve Poon. I relocated to Winston-Salem for residency after spending my entire life in the Northeast. I grew up in Clifton, NJ - a town 12 miles due west of Manhattan. From there I went to high school in Jersey City, NJ. College was at Tufts University in Medford, MA before I moved to the downtown Boston campus to attend Tufts University School of Medicine. I can honestly say that I never imagined myself heading south for residency, but when I interviewed at Wake Forest I was impressed by the consistently high quality of people I was meeting. Everyone from the residents on up to the faculty and staff are approachable, helpful and most of all, friendly. I found that this was an extremely supportive environment which I found to be absolutely perfect for my residency. The program is structured around the education of residents. It's associated with a great medical school and a large academic medical center, which both provide some outstanding learning opportunities.

As for my life outside of medicine - it boils down to one thing really; I like good food. I enjoy spending my time exploring Winston and trying to find new places to eat and local gems. It's also relaxing for me to cook, especially when it's for friends. I make a mean Bolognese sauce which I'm constantly working on improving. Taste-testers are always wanted! When I'm not satiating my appetite, I do like to stay active. I have played volleyball for over 12 years and still love the sport. One nice warm nights, you can bet that I would be willing to go check out a baseball game. Being from Northern New Jersey, I'm a diehard Yankees fan. 8 years of Boston didn't change my allegiances and I doubt North Carolina will either. Though, I have noticed that this is a very Yankees-friendly area of the country.

I will take the liberty of paraphrasing an old saying - you can take the boy out of New Jersey but you can't take the New Jersey out of the boy. I still miss my home state and all that it offers, especially my 24 hour diners (not the abominations known as Denny's, either), disco fries, bagel shops and most of all, my Taylor ham, egg and cheese sandwiches. If you know what I mean, please email me.

Disclaimer: The information on this website is for general informational purposes only and SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, evaluation or care from your physician or other qualified health care provider.